Former Middlesbrough star Juninho: Neymar must improve before Premier League move

By Tom Etherington 2013-02-06 11:40:00 20130206

Former Middlesbrough star Juninho believes Neymar will have to improve his game if he's to be a hit in the Premier League.

The Santos youngster is one of the most sought after players in world football, with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City, as well as Real Madrid and Barcelona, all interested in securing his services.

Juninho, who had three spells at Boro during his career, believes the Seleção forward will need to change his playing style if he is to be a success in England’s top-flight.

He told TalkSport: "Neymar has been brilliant in Brazil for the last two years. He hasn’t played very well, though, when he has gone overseas.

"He has to change his game a little bit when he plays away from Brazil. The game is different. In Brazil he gets the ball with a lot of time, but in Europe it won’t be like that. He’ll have to think first and then get the ball.

"He’s learning and getting better, and he also has great pace, which helps. People will see he is better than he was at the 2012 Olympic Games."